Wiedman, as a gun enthusiast, is well aware that semi-automatic assault weapons are fundamentally different from traditional sporting firearms. Weapons covered by the ban such as the AK-47, AR-15, MAC-10, and the Uzi are fairly easily converted to fully automatic fire. A semi-automatic hunting rifle such as the Remington 742 is much more difficult, if not impossible, to convert to automatic fire.

Furthermore, 30-round magazines are readily available for assault weapons; such magazines do not exist for sporting firearms. Finally, a terrorist wishing to obtain an assault weapon for use in the U.S. could go to any one of thousands of domestic gun shops and purchase his AK-47 simply by showing his or her proof of residency and undergoing an instant background check.

(The terrorist could avoid even the minimal background check by going to a gun show to get his weapon). He or she could then convert it to full automatic mode in few hours with readily available parts and tools. I submit to Weidman that this would be far more easily accomplished and more economical than buying a rifle or RPG in Afghanistan and smuggling it into the U.S. In any event, with the repeal of the ban, our hypothetical terrorist is now free to choose.